Trays for transporting and manipulating syringes to be filled with medicinal products, for example medicinal products in liquid form, are already known, and are being produced from a variety of materials for example from a sheet of thermo-formed plastic including an elongated body, of rectangular shape, which has a first face, for example an upper face, and a second face, for example a lower face, which are opposite each other, the body of which extends in a first direction, or length, and in a second, transverse direction, or width; and a plurality of housings which are open on the first face to receive and hold the cylindrical articles, for example the cylindrical bodies of the syringes which are to be filled; these housings are each arranged in the second, transverse direction, or width, being distributed in the first direction, or length; each housing includes opposite protuberances which move back in one direction for the insertion of the corresponding article and which, in the other direction, hold the same article, for example against gravity.
However, several limitations and disadvantages are associated with such trays, including the fact that it is not possible to manipulate such trays, containing the syringes which are to be filled satisfactorily, particularly with means or devices for gripping or manipulating. As the tray has limited intrinsic rigidity, it is difficult to manipulate it with mechanical means. Use is therefore made of means of pneumatic type, using suction. To this end, the trays, loaded with syringes, may be manipulated by means of their second face, or lower face, i.e., in an upside-down position, with a gripping head which establishes a vacuum or suction in the enclosure limited by the border of the elongated body. According to this technique, it appears to be difficult to establish a good seal between the suction head and the border of the elongated body of the tray, which is likely, in particular, to become deformed without guaranteeing said seal.
According to another technique, vacuum pads are applied at various points on the tray, with the tray loaded with the grouped-together articles being in an upside-down position. However, these vacuum pads do not allow reliable gripping, for various reasons, including they are applied to an irregular surface, for example a warped surface, with respect to which it is difficult to create a good seal; the aging of the rubber made vacuum pads makes it impossible to guarantee a uniform carrying force over time; and the deformability of the tray may break the seal with each vacuum pads. In fact, any kind of poor gripping or manipulation of the grouping tray which is loaded with articles may cause the tray and possibly the articles to be damaged, or alternatively cause the tray and the articles to be dropped. Such accidents can cause the production line which is fed with the articles grouped together on the trays to be shut down or otherwise stopped.
Thus, there has been a need for a tray which would eliminate the problems and limitations associated with the prior trays discussed above.